Where do all the “Temu Pig Shirt” memes come from? The origins of the viral Twitter advertising meme explained

Aggressive Temu advertising has been popping up all over X/Twitter lately, and users are speaking out and posting their reactions and memes about the product as it makes the rounds online.

Offering shoppers a “stylish” graphic T-shirt with the image of a pig on it, the ad is both confusing and enchanting to anyone haunted by its presence.

But where does the image of the pig come from and how do people on social media react to the ad? Here’s what you need to know about the so-called “Temu Pig Shirt”.

What is the Temu Pig Shirt?

Sometime in 2023, a Temu seller began selling a graphic T-shirt printed with artwork depicting a pig lounging in a sauna. The pork belly was positioned on the shirt to line up with the wearer’s stomach. Since then, several other sellers have started selling the funny shirt. But where does pig art actually come from?

The artwork of the pig lounging in the sauna is from a 2017 advertising campaign for a range of Midea air fryers. The campaign consisted of two images, one of a cow in the sauna and one of a pig in the sauna, each with the slogan “Reduces 80% of fat from food.”

The image began spreading online after the campaign’s release, eventually making its way to Temu and becoming a graphic T-shirt sometime in recent years.

How is the “Temu Pig Shirt” used in memes?

In mid-October 2024, the ad even described the shirt as “stylish,” a statement that was questioned by some.

The increasing presence of the ad

Some of the most viral memes come from users who Photoshopped the T-shirt onto different people, such as the Four Lads in Jeans or actress Anne Hathaway. Others simply acknowledge the aggressive promotion of the T-shirt.

Now some users are taking a closer look at Temu’s ads and sharing them in a similar way, such as an ad for a “dog wig.” So if you’re looking for an affordable pig shirt or a dog wig (or maybe both), you know where to go.

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For the full history of the Temu pig shirt, see Know Your Meme’s encyclopedia entry.